Cruz opposes House border bill

Ted Cruz and other Senate conservatives are urging rejection of the House border security package, miffed that it excludes language prohibiting expansion of President Barack Obama’s deferred action policies.

Cruz has urged House and Senate Republicans to rally around his proposal to attack Obama’s Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals, an administrative change Obama made in 2012 to halt the deportation of some young immigrants.

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On Tuesday, House Republicans unveiled a bill that includes $659 million in money for the border and a change to a 2008 anti-trafficking law — but no change to DACA. Cruz and other members of the party’s right flank argue that DACA is driving Central American migrants to the border, convincing immigrants they will get a “permiso” — or asylum — when they reach the border, even though there is no such policy.

“The only way to stop the border crisis is to stop Obama’s amnesty. It is disappointing the border security legislation unveiled today does not include language to end Obama’s amnesty. Congress cannot hope to solve this problem without addressing the fundamental cause of it,” Cruz said in an emailed statement.

Cruz is not alone in hoping to convince congressional leaders to push a prohibition of DACA expansion. His idea to prevent expansion of DACA earned praise from two Senate GOP leaders, John Cornyn of Texas and John Thune of South Dakota, though Cornyn also supports the House’s border bill.

And preventing the expansion of DACA has quickly become a rallying cry for other conservative lawmakers during the border funding debate. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) said the House bill is “unworthy of support” because it doesn’t include any DACA language.

“That the House leaders’ border package includes no language on executive actions is surrender to a lawless President. And it is a submission to the subordination of congressional power,” said Sessions. “A package that is silent on blocking amnesty creates an opportunity for Senate Democrats to add elements of their party’s open borders and mass immigration agenda.”